As their strike begins in Sana'a, a human rights center calls for ending the suffering of teachers in areas controlled by the Houthi militia

The American Center for Justice ( ACJ ) called for an end to the suffering of teachers in areas controlled by the Houthi militia, whose salaries have been suspended for more than seven years, with the start of a new phase of strike in Sana'a.

In a statement, the center expressed its deep concern over the continued deterioration of the conditions of teachers in areas controlled by the Houthi group in Yemen, as their suffering is exacerbated by the suspension of their salaries for more than seven years, noting that this crisis comes amid ongoing strikes and protests by teachers, who are demanding their basic rights to receive their salaries, which are the lifeline for their families.

The center explained that it had obtained confirmed information that teachers in the Sana'a Secretariat areas had begun a strike in several schools since Monday, to demand the payment of their due salaries.

He pointed out that this strike comes within a series of strikes "that were met with accusations of treason against the striking teachers and the launching of repressive campaigns by the Houthi group, including threats of arbitrary dismissal and arrests, among which was the head of the Teachers' Club, "Abu Zaid Al-Kamim", whose health deteriorated in prison and was released after several pressures and campaigns demanding his release."

The center accused the Houthi group of ignoring the legitimate demands of teachers to pay their salaries, while at the same time allocating huge sums of money to its loyalists in senior positions, as confirmed by human rights and media reports.

The statement recalled what the Houthi group had done by establishing what is called the “Teacher Support Fund,” through which billions of Yemeni riyals are collected monthly from the revenues of the fees it imposes on students every semester, as it collects 4,000 Yemeni riyals from each student. It also imposed mandatory fees on students and parents, called “community contribution,” in addition to the amounts collected from customs and taxes and raising the prices of consumer goods under the pretext of supporting education.

He said that this money does not reach the teachers themselves, and that there has been no tangible improvement in the conditions of teachers or the quality of education.

The American Center for Justice ( ACJ ) called on the international community and the United Nations to pressure the Houthi group to pay teachers’ salaries regularly and schedule arrears, stop all forms of intimidation and arbitrary arrests of teachers, and allocate resources collected from revenues to support education and improve teachers’ conditions.

The Center also called on all concerned parties to protect education as a basic right for every child, and to ensure the dignity of teachers as the cornerstone in building the future of Yemen.